Ilocos Norte sustains tag as among 'least poor province' in PH

LAOAG CITY – Poverty alleviation programs of the provincial government has allowed Ilocos Norte to retain its title as the least poor province in the Ilocos Region, with a poverty incidence of 0.5 percent.

Ilocos Norte's poverty incidence is at par with that of the National Capital Region and the provinces of Benguet, Cavite, Laguna, Pampanga, Rizal, and Siquijor.

They obtained the "least poor" status nationwide in the preliminary results of the Family Income and Expenditure Survey (FIES) for the first half of 2023, which is released by the Philippine Statistics Authority every three years, the latest of which was last July.

Gervy James Gumarit, head of the communication and media office of the Ilocos Norte government, attributed this to the provincial government's continuous efforts to prioritize programs on poverty reduction, improving agricultural productivity, education, and employment, among others.

"Under Governor Matthew Marcos Manotoc's leadership, Ilocos Norte consistently ranks among the provinces with the lowest poverty rates. This achievement reflects the Provincial Government's dedicated efforts to prioritize the needs of our mannalon (farmers) and mangngalap (fishers) – - the main drivers of our economy," he said Wednesday.

Gumarit said the various program of the provincial government such as the Agri Ka Dito, a program targeted to boost livelihood of farmers and fishers, aim to alleviate poverty by generating greater employment opportunities, boosting tourism, and supporting small and medium-sized enterprises.

"These actions contribute significantly to the economic growth and stability of our province," he said.

Over the past 10 years, the PSA has already listed the first-class province of Ilocos Norte in terms of income as one of the provinces with the lowest poverty incidence.

PSA defines poverty incidence as the proportion of families (or population) with per capita income less than the per capita poverty threshold to the total number of families or populations. (PNA)